Evaluation of the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and disease recurrence in patients with ulcerative colitis

Background: one of the growing diseases in the world that affects patient life quality is Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC). Many environmental factors, including nutritional deficiencies, may influence the development of the disease. This study aims to evaluate the role of the level of vitamin D in UC recurrence. Methods: We performed this cross-sectional study at Qom University of Medical Sciences from September 2017 to September 2018 on 50 patients with inactive UC, at least six months after diagnosis, in Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Qom. Patients entered the study sequentially from the target population after describing how to perform the plan and obtaining informed consent. Demographic information, including gender, age, medical history, diseases, and body mass index (BMI), were collected using a checklist. Patients were followed for six months for symptoms and the frequency of disease relapse. During the visits, in terms of adherence to treatment and case of recurrence, the number and severity of recurrence were examined, and the results were recorded in the checklist of each patient. At the end of this period, serum vitamin D level was measured. Data were collected by a checklist and analyzed by independent samples t-test, Chi-square, and variance analysis in SPSS version 18. Results: Examining the correlation between vitamin D levels and demographic variables shows that low vitamin D levels are significantly associated with an increase in the frequency of recurrences. However, there was no significant relationship between disease duration, age, and body mass index. Among 50 patients, 23 (%46) were male, and 27 (%54) were female, with a mean age of 35.24±10.07 and a mean duration of disease for 15.14±6.67 months. The mean frequency of relapse was 1.34±1.89. The mean level of serum vitamin D was 22.30±13.45 ng/dl. It was significantly associated with the frequency of relapse with a P<0.001. Conclusion: Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with an increased risk of recurrence in patients with ulcerative colitis.